Leading-edge findings revealed at the American Society of Echocardiography's Scientific Sessions TORONTO, June 9
TORONTO, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Echocardiography
(ASE) holds its 19th Annual Scientific Sessions June 7-11 at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The event provides a forum for
the world's leading researchers in cardiovascular medicine to present their
most-recent findings. This year's presentations include several that will
have significant impact on diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and the
application of echocardiograms, otherwise called heart ultrasounds.
To view the full text of the press releases and study abstracts, please
visit http://www.asecho.org/Media_Public_Info/2008MediaKit.php
FETAL HEART ULTRASOUND DETERMINES PRENATAL MARKERS FOR CONGENITAL HEART
DISEASE
Early detection of congenital heart disease in the fetus is often critical
to successful treatment. New research revealed at the 19th Annual Scientific
Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) indicates fetal
heart ultrasound technology can help detect congenital heart anomalies before
birth, thereby allowing doctors to plan treatment sooner.
Prenatal ventricular size discrepancy with a disproportionately smaller
left ventricle than right ventricle (L-R/VD) in the fetus is a strong marker
for various forms of congenital heart disease. The study concluded that fetal
parameters expressing the magnitude of L-R/VD can help identify those who will
require neonatal intervention. The findings will improve the ability to
determine which fetuses are likely to need neonatal intervention and which
will not.
STUDY REVEALS BENEFITS OF NON-INVASIVE TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT REJECTIONS OF
TRANSPLANTED HEART
Research unveiled at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American
Society of Echocardiography (ASE) could provide doctors with a non-invasive
procedure to monitor how well a patient's body is accepting or rejecting a
transplanted heart. New two-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking imaging
(STI) -- highly sensitive and specific heart ultrasound technology -- has
proven successful in detecting transplant rejection, according to study
findings.
Currently, patients who undergo a heart transplant must endure several
biopsies. Discovering an alternative, safe and non-invasive method to
accurately monitor heart acceptance or rejection would significantly improve
patient care and effective treatment.
PHYSICIANS ADVISED: QUALITY CARDIAC ULTRASOUND IN PATIENTS WITH AORTIC
STENOSIS MUST CONSIDER BODY SURFACE AREA
In a study presented at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the
American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) researchers stated that
cardiologists must consider both aortic valve area and body surface area (BSA)
in the assessment of the severity of aortic stenosis, a heart valve condition
caused by a narrowing of the main valve that directs blood flow to the rest of
the body. The study revealed not correcting the calculated valve area for an
individual patient's body size resulted in an under diagnosis of this
condition, which can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
BSA is determined by recording a patient's height and weight. A cardiac
ultrasound exam in a patient with aortic stenosis that does not correct for
BSA could result in a misdiagnosis of the severity of the condition. This is
because a patient's body size will determine what the normal size of aortic
valve should be.
RESEARCHERS USE CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASOUND TO TRACK STEM CELLS
Researchers unveiled a study that explored methods using contrast-enhanced
ultrasound to track the fate of stem cells after their administration. Newer
techniques to repair damaged heart muscle and blood vessels using stem cells
are currently being tested; however, the best method to track these cells
after their delivery is still unknown. Results from this study could help
direct strategies to reverse damage to the heart muscle or circulation system
by tracking incorporation of stem cells to specific parts of the heart and its
blood vessels. These new findings were presented at the 19th Annual
Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE).
This study is a potential breakthrough in research using stem cells to
treat heart muscle and circulation damage. By using contrast-enhanced
ultrasound imaging, doctors can "see" where stems cells go, and how they
interact with a patient's heart and circulation, thereby helping to determine
which strategies to direct cells to the specific areas of the heart and
circulatory system are the most effective.
ULTRASOUND CONTRAST AGENT SAFE DURING STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAM
Research revealed at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American
Society of Echocardiography (ASE) indicates that the use of ultrasound
contrast agents during stress echocardiograms is safe. This study comes just
months after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated a black box
warning be added to the labels of contrast agents used for cardiovascular
ultrasound.
The risk of major adverse effects is no different in patients that
received contrast during their stress echocardiogram than in those who did not
receive contrast, according to research findings. This held true even though
contrast was more often used in patients with a higher cardiac risk profile.
RESEARCH FINDS CONTRAST CARDIAC ULTRASOUND INCREASES THE CONFIDENCE OF MEDICAL
DECISION-MAKING
Cardiac ultrasound exams (echocardiography) performed with ultrasound
contrast agents can result in more targeted therapy according to a study
released at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of
Echocardiography (ASE). Researchers sought to prove that the use of these
contrast agents during cardiac ultrasound exams is a valuable tool for doctors
in certain cases and can influence patient management.
The data showed that improved visualization of endocardial border has a
direct positive impact on the quality and confidence of cardiac ultrasound
reporting which translates to improved management decisions.
STUDY REVEALS MORTALITY UNRELATED TO ULTRASOUND CONTRAST AGENT DEFINITY
There is no increased risk of death for patients who receive the contrast
agent DEFINITY(R) (Bristol-Myers Squibb) during an ultrasound contrast
echocardiogram, according to research presented today at the 19th Annual
Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE).
Scientists sought to determine if there is an association between DEFINITY and
mortality in high-risk subgroups of patients who underwent contrast
echocardiography in the Calgary Health Region.
A chart review of patient deaths revealed that all of the patients were
critically ill at the time of DEFINITY administration and there was no clear
association between ECA administration and death.
STRESS HEART ULTRASOUND IDENTIFIES NEW PROGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR WOMEN
WITHOUT TYPICAL CHEST PAIN
Research released today at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the
American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) reports that stress
echocardiography, a heart ultrasound performed during stress testing, can
predict and classify risk of myocardial infarction and cardiac death in women
with atypical angina.
Study results suggest that women experiencing any kind of chest pain
should receive a stress echocardiogram to most accurately assess their
potential for coronary artery disease. The study showed that stress
echocardiography effectively risk stratified patients into a normal (low risk)
versus abnormal (high risk) group. Women experiencing atypical symptoms and
atypical chest pain could overlook serious problems without the aid of a
stress echocardiogram.
RESTRICTIVE FILLING PATTERNS ARE A USEFUL ADDITION TO NYHA CLASS IN ASSESSMENT
OF SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE
Doppler restrictive filling of the left ventricle (LV) is an accurate
predictor of survival regardless of symptoms associated with New York Heart
Association's (NYHA) functional classification, according to a study presented
at the 19th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of
Echocardiography (ASE).
Restrictive filling by Doppler echocardiography -- a measure of severe
diastolic dysfunction -- is associated with chronic heart failure and can
provide an accurate assessment of heart health irrespective of how the patient
is classified by the NYHA scale. This study shows that there are other
important determinants for the degree of heart failure beyond the NYHA
functional classification
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is a professional
organization of physicians, cardiac sonographers, nurses and scientists
involved in echocardiography, the use of ultrasound to image the heart and
cardiovascular system. The organization was founded in 1975 and has more than
13,000 members nationally and internationally. For more information on ASE,
visit http://www.asecho.org or ASE's Public Information site,
http://www.SeeMyHeart.org.
CONTACT:
Kevin King
Imre Communications
410-821-8220
kevink@imrecommunications.com
SOURCE American Society of Echocardiography
